The invention generally relates to a reusable asset center (RAC) framework in a development environment for network management applications and, more particularly, to a simple network management protocol (SNMP) agent code generation within the development environment and an SNMP agent framework (SAF) within the RAC framework that together provide network management applications with SNMP functionalities between one or more network elements and a network management station (NMS).
While the invention is particularly directed to the art of network management application development, and will be thus described with specific reference thereto, it will be appreciated that the invention may have usefulness in other fields and applications.
By way of background, Guidelines for Definition of Managed Objects (GDMO) and Structure for Management Information (SMI) are existing standards for defining objects in a network. Managed objects that are defined can be accessed via a network management protocol, such as the existing Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). Various standards, recommendations, and guidelines associated with GDMO, SMI, and SNMP have been published. GDMO is specified in ISO/IEC Standard 10165/x.722. Version 1 of SMI (SMIv1) is specified in Network Working Group (NWG) Standard 16 and includes Request for Comments (RFCs) 1155 and 1212. Version 2 of SMI (SMIv2) is specified in NWG Standard 58 and includes RFCs 2578 through 2580. The latest version of SNMP (SNMPv3) is specified in NWG Standard 62 and includes RFCs 3411 through 3418.
ISO/IEC Standard 10165/x.722, GDMO, identifies: a) relationships between relevant open systems interconnection (OSI) management Recommendations/International Standards and the definition of managed object classes, and how those Recommendations/International Standards should be used by managed object class definitions; b) appropriate methods to be adopted for the definition of managed object classes and their attributes, notifications, actions and behavior, including: 1) a summary of aspects that shall be addressed in the definition; 2) the notational tools that are recommended to be used in the definition; 3) consistency guidelines that the definition may follow; c) relationship of managed object class definitions to management protocol, and what protocol-related definitions are required; and d) recommended documentation structure for managed object class definitions. X.722 is applicable to the development of any Recommendation/International Standard which defines a) management information which is to be transferred or manipulated by means of OSI management protocol and b) the managed objects to which that information relates.
RFC 1155, Structure and Identification of Management Information for TCP/IP-based Internets, describes the common structures and identification scheme for the definition of management information used in managing TCP/IP-based internets. Included are descriptions of an object information model for network management along with a set of generic types used to describe management information. Formal descriptions of the structure are given using Abstract Syntax Notation One (ASN.1).
RFC 1212, Concise Management Information Base (MIB) Definitions, describes a straight-forward approach toward producing concise, yet descriptive, MIB modules. It is intended that all future MIB modules be written in this format. The Internet-standard SMI employs a two-level approach towards object definition. An MIB definition consists of two parts: a textual part, in which objects are placed into groups, and an MIB module, in which objects are described solely in terms of the ASN.1 macro OBJECT-TYPE, which is defined by the SMI.
Management information is viewed as a collection of managed objects, residing in a virtual information store, termed the MIB. Collections of related objects are defined in MIB modules. These modules are written using an adapted subset of OSI's ASN.1. RFC 2578, SMI Version 2 (SMIv2), defines that adapted subset and assigns a set of associated administrative values.
The SMI defined in RFC 2578 is divided into three parts: module definitions, object definitions, and, notification definitions. Module definitions are used when describing information modules. An ASN.1 macro, MODULE-IDENTITY, is used to concisely convey the semantics of an information module. Object definitions are used when describing managed objects. An ASN.1 macro, OBJECT-TYPE, is used to concisely convey the syntax and semantics of a managed object. Notification definitions are used when describing unsolicited transmissions of management information. An ASN.1 macro, NOTIFICATION-TYPE, is used to concisely convey the syntax and semantics of a notification.
RFC 2579, Textual Conventions for SMIv2, defines an initial set of textual conventions available to all MIB modules. Management information is viewed as a collection of managed objects, residing in a virtual information store, termed the MIB. Collections of related objects are defined in MIB modules. These modules are written using an adapted subset of OSI's ASN.1, termed the SMI defined in RFC 2578. When designing an MIB module, it is often useful to define new types similar to those defined in the SMI. In comparison to a type defined in the SMI, each of these new types has a different name, a similar syntax, but a more precise semantics. These newly defined types are termed textual conventions, and are used for the convenience of humans reading the MIB module. Objects defined using a textual convention are always encoded by means of the rules that define their primitive type. However, textual conventions often have special semantics associated with them. As such, an ASN.1 macro, TEXTUAL-CONVENTION, is used to concisely convey the syntax and semantics of a textual convention.
RFC 2580, Conformance Statements for SMIv2, defines the notation used to define the acceptable lower-bounds of implementation, along with the actual level of implementation achieved, for management information associated with the managed objects.
Network elements need a way to define managed resources and access/manage those resources in a consistent and transparent way. GDMO does not provide a straight forward approach to defining resources. SMI does not provide for an object-oriented design of network management applications. Neither standard provides sufficient complexity of hierarchy or sufficient complexity of control for management of today's complex networks, particular today's telecommunication networks.
The present invention contemplates an SNMP agent code generator and a RAC framework with an SAF for generation of SNMP agent code in a development environment for network management applications that resolves the above-referenced difficulties and others.